10 Things Everyone Should Journal or Keep a Diary About. Writing is Discovery.
Because journal writing is a voyage to the interior.
Journal writing is a voyage to the interior — Christina Baldwin
Journaling is probably the most underrated self-improvement tool.
It’s been over two decades of writing journals for me. But unfortunately, there was no discipline and structure in the first 10–15 years of this habit. Hence, the habit never showed me its true power.
But the past 5–10 years have been different.
Besides consistency, now there are experiments with different genres and more learning in the shape of dialogues with diary writers from across the world.
Beginning
A blank page is often daunting. Whether you are an accomplished writer, an author, or a journalist — the beginning is always tough. It’s tough to express the first words on paper.
Writing a journal is the same. Unfortunately, the “Why” to journal writing is often too weak. The “What” is even weaker. Hence, the habit either flies away or takes too long to show results.
The primary reason for lacking any stickiness is fear and apprehension.
- Fear of the unknown.
- Fear of someone else reading it.
- Apprehension of taking out time for something as simple as writing.
- Apprehensions towards doing something different from what the world is doing.
I believe if you can keep these fears and apprehensions in a box, lock it in the corner of your house, and then attempt writing a journal, the habit will yield results you have not comprehended yet.
And here are ten strong “What” to help you kick-start this habit quickly.
Ten Things You Can Write About in Your Journal
1. Gratitude
“What am I grateful for today?”
Note down five bullet points to this prompt before you sleep every night.
Say — Why.
Just a few words of gratitude will relax you and improve your sleep and health quality.
2. Positive affirmations
Affirmations act as a guiding force for our minds. Repeat affirmations to yourself in your notebook, and they have the power to become true; believe in the power of your mind.
- I am worthy of what I desire.
- I am in charge of my life.
- I am choosing and not waiting to be chosen.
I AM…………
I AM…………
I AM…………
I AM…………
I AM…………
3. Self-awareness
The most beautiful thing journal writing does to us is that it lets us meet ourselves. Answering a few basic prompts on the paper lets us view ourselves from the inside.
It can be daunting, but it can relax too.
Journal writing creates self-awareness.
A simple way to incorporate self-awareness in your journal is to answer prompts.
- What irritates me?
- Who knows me the best?
- What habits do I want to incorporate into my life in the next 30-days?
Clear the initial haze, then move to difficult questions. Discover yourself.
The more you know about yourself, the more your everyday life will improve.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle, who lived between 384, and 322 B.C., once said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
4. Travel
When on vacation, commuting to a new place — keep a journal.
Our travel experiences are completely different from our everyday lives. The views, food, people, experiences, sounds, and smells are different.
Allow your life to make a note of them. Then, when you write about these experiences, it elevates your travel experiences.
A travel journal is a way to re-live moments of those exciting memories.
Such journals are a repository of adventures, stories, memories, and discoveries. Use it to write about memories large and small, who you met along the journey, and what you learned.
5. Food
I don’t write too often about the food I eat.
But I write about it when I eat out in a restaurant. It allows me to explore the ambiance, the restaurant, people’s presence, different aromas, flavors, servers, staff, and so on.
Looking back at these journals, I can easily recall these beautiful memories.
People might maintain a food journal in a completely different manner than this. In whatever shape you include your food stories, that’s fine. Writing about your food experiences is not just about the food you eat; it’s about the experience.
And, if your journal can store these experiences, they become a rich memoir of your life.
6. The Morning Pages
Julia Cameron suggested in her book “The Artist’s Way.” Write three pages of long-hand writing. NO filter. Get up in the morning and offload your mind by writing three pages of everything and anything that your mind is talking about.
Morning pages are freedom. It allows me to be honest with myself and write whatever is there to write. No filter. No apprehensions. No fear.
The biggest benefit of The Morning Pages is that there are no rules. Write bullets, to-do, yesterday, today, tomorrow, SELF, others, anger, happiness, weather — say whatever is in your head.
7. Ideas
The most important variation of my journal writing habit — An idea journal.
When my mind talks ideas, I record them.
While reading a book, taking a bath, driving, meeting, and eating — if an idea hits me, I write it. But, if I let it go, it will fly to someone else. And, I am very selfish with my ideas.
I don’t judge these ideas. I give them respect. Because I know when I give respect, it will turn back and help me find execution.
Maintaining an idea journal is very easy. Promise yourself to write ten ideas every day. Let them be foolish, silly, nonsense, meaningless — they still are ideas.
8. To-Do list
A to-do list is a form of a journal. It uniquely records your life. However, don’t just see a to-do list as a time management tool; instead, see it as a rich history of your days.
When you prepare and guide your life using a structure (in this case, a to-do list), you ensure a structure to your days.
A to-do list journal helps me control my apprehensions and procrastination. When my priority is on the paper, it automatically ensures it comes true.
9. Pandemic or tough times
Covid-19 was a grim reminder of how short our lives are. And that’s why I started a “Pandemic Diary” and recorded everything about my days and emotions.
Maintain a journal to record what you feel about your bad days. Don’t write about your normal life; explore the hidden fears of tough times.
“The Diary of a Young Girl” or The Diary of Anne Frank — Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic — a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
10. Dreams
I love my sleep, and more than that, I love the idea of recording my dreams.
Am I learning from them?
Not sure. But to go through these vivid images is a fantastic reminder of the power of our minds.
As you record those fragments of dreams, they sew themselves back in the journal and yield back meaning and a realization that our minds are a powerhouse of ideas.
Final Thoughts
Journal writing is a therapy.
An assumption that you don’t need it is still not enough for the practice to yield positive results.
The time I spend with my journal lets me dive deep into these pages and helps me take a dip inside my soul and bring out some hidden jewels.
My journal books never fail me, and I always come out with something valuable.
While writing my raw thoughts and allowing my mind to connect with paper, I consciously opt to settle and slow down. As a result, my thoughts get a channel to express themselves.
- Journal writing is Mindfulness.
- Journal writing is Power.
And I wish to surrender to this power and learn.
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Nishith is an author and creator of a unique self-development platform — “Be Better Bit-By-Bit.” Grab a copy of his books — Be Better Bit-By-Bit and My Daily 5-Minute Gratitude Journal.
Listen to his podcasts Be Better Bit-By-Bit and 10 Bullets — 100 Words Book Summary.
